Gabriella Francois
by Amaya73
Summary: Starts with tragedy. Not quite sure where it's going, just popped in my head. Check it out and REVIEW! I WILL retur the favor! Draco is in later chapter.
1. Death

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review and I will return the favor!**

The wind blew fiercely through the moonless night, rain pounding down on the earth. The lights from the mansion were distant, throwing eerie shadows in the garden below. She sat there, on the stone stairs, in her white gown drenched in coldness. She had been there at least an hour, staring off into the dark gardens. The mascara that had been running down her face had now been washed completely off. Her legs were spread awkward, but comfortably along the stairs, her dress clung around them. Her dark, long hair was being whipped around her.

She sniffled and let out a soft whimper, "Why?"

She threw her face into her hands as a new batch of warm, fresh tears streamed down her face.

"Gabriella!" A shout from the mansion was barely audible from the vicious wind. The girl looked up towards the mansion. She squinted her eyes against the rain and wind, and could faintly make out several figures.

"I have to get out of here." The girl said as she gathered up her gown and hurried towards the gardens.

_**Flashback**_

_People started arriving for the ball. The decorations were brilliant, crystal and silver everywhere. The live band played classic ball music. _

_"Gabriella Rose, are you ready?" A young looking adult called softly from behind a door. _

_"Yes mother," She opened the door, "I'm coming down." She fixed the old crown upon her head,_

_"You look stunning Gabriella, let us go downstairs and greet our guests." Her mother guided her downstairs._

_Gabriella was a seventeen year old girl with long dark hair, hazel eyes, and a pleasant smile. She came from a rich family, the Francois'. They lived in the family mansion in upper London. She loved her life, it was pretty much perfect, she got what she wanted and needed. She was sure she had the greatest friends in the world. The only thing wrong? Her family. They were vindictive, manipulative people. Money, blood, and rank were all that mattered. _

_That was the main reason for the party, to make more connections and to show off what they had. Gabriella had become use to this, _was_ her life. _

_Just about everyone that was invited was there, everyone was having a good time. One person, Gabriella realized, was not there, the one most important person in her life, Mackenzie Babineaux. They were the best of friends, lovers even. _

_"Mother, have you seen Mackenzie?" Gabriella timidly asked her mother._

_"No, I haven't, maybe he couldn't make it? Check the post." Her mother snidely said and got back to talking to her new aquatints. _

_Gabriella checked the post but found nothing for her best friend. _

_"Gabs! __Gabs!" There was sudden shouting from downstairs. She ran downstairs to see Sebastian, a good friend of hers and Mackenzie's, being held back from the stairs by guards._

_"Let him go." She said shortly, and they obeyed._

_"What is it Seb? What's wrong? Why are you bloody?!" She rushed to him, looking for wounds, but there were none._

_"You might want to sit down." He said somberly and had her sit next to him._

She ran through the dark labyrinth of the backyard, warm tears still streaming down her face. There were still faints shouts from the mansion.

_It can't be true! It's just a prank he's pulling on me, bastard._

She wanted so badly to believe that, but she knew, in the pit of her heart, that he was gone. The gardens ended and she was on a dirt road.

"What the hell am I supposed to do now?" She said, looking up and down the road. She began running down it, towards he favorite spot along the lake. When she arrived she knew exactly where to go, even with no light at all. She sat on the cold rock above the water, her white stilettos dangling above that water. A branch cracked behind her, but she gave it no mind, she didn't care who or what was there.

"Gabs?" Sebastian's voice was shaky. He illuminated his wand and sat next to her, his feet hanging over the side of the rock with hers. He put his hand over he shoulder and she leaned against him.

"Why did this happen? How did this happen?" She said sniffling.

"I don't know, no one knows yet, everyone is so confused at what happened." He hugged her closer.

"Tell me all you know, please." She turned and looked into her eyes.

"Wouldn't you just want to know tomorrow, it seems to soon, you just found out." He looked into her puffy eyes.

"_Please_, tell me, I want to know."

Sebastian sighed, "Okay, well…"


	2. I'll always be with her

_"Tell me all you know, please." She turned and looked into her eyes._

_"Wouldn't you just want to know tomorrow, it seems too soon, you just found out." He looked into her puffy eyes._

_"Please, tell me, I want to know." _

Sebastian sighed, "Okay, well, all we know now is that he was fighting someone. It was just a few blocks from his house, at that park we always hung out at. I got there right after it happened," His voice became strained from holding back tears, "I saw whoever it was running away, I should have chased him, but I didn't…." He trailed off, remembering what had just happened a few hours ago.

"It's not your fault." Gabriella squeezed him tighter.

He went on, "He was still alive when I got there, but he was so badly injured that I knew right then he wasn't going to make it. It killed me inside that I knew I couldn't do anything, or get anyone to do anything. I tried to carry him away, but I… I was so distraught that I couldn't get very far. I started calling out for help and Mrs. Cruunett came running out. She called the ambulance, but by then…it was already too late. He said something right before they got there, 'Tell her I'll always be with her'. I know he meant you. I'm… I'm so sorry Gabs, if there was anything, **anything** I could have done, even give my own life, I would have done it. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I didn't do anything." Tears began rolling down his face; he struggled to choke them back.

"Sebs, it's not your fault! You did what you could." Gabriella said, not able to choke back her own cries. They held each other and let their tears roll freely, just having each other there made it a little easier to bear.

Her eyes opened to the bright sun reflection off the water. If was a beautiful sight, one she hadn't seen since the last time she came up with…

And it hit her, again, he was gone. She sat up and stared out over the water. Sebastian woke quietly.

"How are you?" He sat up and positioned himself next to her.

"Empty." She said shortly and sadly. He gave her a hug.

"How about some pancakes?" He said, giving her a smile.

"I'm not going back to my house."

"Good, neither am I. We could go to the Café, you love their pancakes. It'll make you feel a bit better." He stood up and then helped her up.

"And then we can go to my flat and you can get some regular clothes on."

She gave a little snort and began walking with him down the dirt road.

After twenty minutes and very peculiar looks from passerbyers, they arrived at the small café, Beck's. It was a small, whole-in-the-wall kind of café that the locals loved.

'Ding'

The door rang as the entered. The place was fairly empty, mostly elders having their morning coffee before their morning walk.

"'ello Gabriella, Sebastian, 'a 're ya two?" The kind old man, Jack, said behind the counter.

"Hello Jack, we're doing okay. Can we get two orders of pancakes and O.J.?" Sebastian said, as the two sat down in their regular booth.

"Yeah, nah problem, it'll be ready in a few minutes." The owner smiled and went into the kitchen.

The two teens sat in silence, Gabriella playing with her spoon and Sebastian humming. It was an awkward silence, neither knew what to say and both were afraid that if anything was said, it would end up in either, or both, crying.

"'Ere ya 're, two orders of triple stack pancakes and O.J." the man said, smiling, but then his face grew somber and he looked to Gabriella, "And I wanna say, I'm sorry for the loss of Mac, 'E was a great kid. If there's aahhht I can do, daan't be afraid ter ask."

Sebastian looked to Gabriella and then up to Jack, "Thank you Jack, that means a lot to us."

Jack smiled and walked away.

"Thank you." Gabriella gave a small, but sad, smile and dug into her pancakes. Sebastian smiled back and dug into his own stack.

The meal was a quiet one, with the exception of 'pass the syrup please' or 'do you want more juice?'.

"Thanks Jack, here's the money for the meal." Sebastian pulled out the money and held it out to the man.

"Nah worries, Sebastian, it's on the 'ouse." Jack said, pushing the money away.

Sebastian smiled, "Thanks Jack, we'll see you later."

"You're welcome, 'ave a good day." Jack said, waving as the two left his café.

"Off to my flat then? I think I'm getting a cold from these wet clothes." Sebastian said, pulling at his shirt.

"Yeah, I'm sick of the awkward stares I'm getting." Gabriella looked down at her own outfit, a wet, dirty, white gown and dirty white stilettos.

Sebastian cracked a smile, "You do look quite strange, I'm sure no one around here has seen you this dirty or crazy looking."

Gabriella giggled a bit, "Obviously they don't know me that well then. I suppose my hair isn't looking that great either, then?" She said, flattening Sebastian's hair.

"No, not particularly." He smiled as they turned down the street.

"Well, here we are, Casa de Luca." Sebastian said as he opened the door to his flat.

"I think you have some clothes in my room from the night we had a party." He guided her to his bedroom.

"Do you _ever _clean this place?" Gabriella said as she stepped over yet another pile of clothing. Sebastian just ignored the question and grabbed a pile of girl clothes.

"These aren't _all _mine, are they?" Gabriella looked through the pile.

"No, some are from other girls, I'm not sure who though…" He said, smirking and grabbing an outfit for himself.

"Hm, great." Gabriella said, slightly disgusted.

"They're all washed!"

"That doesn't take awake the skankness from them." The girl cracked a genuine. She grabbed clothes she recognized and headed to the bathroom. She kicked her shoes off and looked up into the mirror

"AH! Seb, why didn't you tell me I looked this crazy?!"

He answered with a muffled yell and laughter.

She studied her own face, remnants of mascara were on her cheeks, leaves and twigs were stuck in her hair, and dirt was smeared on her forehead and chin.

_I know he wouldn't have cared._

Tears began welling up in her eyes again. She tried to hold them back as she turned the shower on. The numbness overtook her again.


End file.
